… makes his comeback both on and off the field

Results tagged ‘ Royals ’

So the end of the season travels have settled down a little bit as Mrs. Disco and I have now had some time to relax a bit and get to some catching-up online. I have just finished a new post which I will put up soon (on a non-monday of course). Since Sept. 6th (the last night of the season) I have slept on 9 different mattresses across the country. We recently were in Alabama, Michigan, Toronto and have gotten 2 oil changes since the end of the season

Don’t worry…Don’t panic. I’m not going to stop blogging. I simply haven’t picked up my laptop since the season eneded last monday. That’s no exaggeration. I honestly haven’t cracked my laptop. That, without a doubt, is the longest stretch of my life without a computer since we first got that Apple IIGS back in the day. So I will be on here and will be posting during the off season I just haven’t been

Last day of the season and this one has particularly gone by quickly. well not htis day, this season I meant. This day is actually just beginning (it’s actually late Sunday Night) but I’m posting because I will be busy all day tomorrow. We have a day game for labor day and then have a flight back to Omaha which we will leave for directly from the field.

Threw tonight and blew a save to send us into 15 innings which was terrible, but I guess on the bright side, I did strike out the side for the first time….ever that i can re

This will be a relatively short and quick post. We’re coming down to the end of the season and between planning for off season travel back home and packing up, I’ll admit I didn’t have a ton of time to work on this. I will say I have another post to come out soon that I’m looking forward to hearing your comments about. In the meantime, if you want one of your questions answered on an upcoming Fan Mail Friday, email me at disco@discohayes.com.

The last time I wrote (and you kindly answered) I asked about what pitches you threw. This time I have 3.5 questions: 1) Do pitchers generally only throw fastballs in the 8 pitches they get to warm up when they come into the game (or at the beginning of the inning) or do they try all of their pitches? 1.5) Do you have certain routine you go through with these pitches? 2) What glove do you use (make, model)? 3) Besides working on your book and updating your blog, what are you going to do in the off season?Adam S. Arlington, VA

<2.) Most pitchers have a specific routine they go through for their warm-up pitches. For example, I typically throw 2 fastballs, 2 sliders, a change-up, a rise ball, and then finish with two fastballs. Between innings, typically I throw 7 pitches and will often take out the rise ball. Some days I will throw an extra slider or change-up depending on how the first ones felt. I think most pitchers are that way. If a particular pitch doesn’t feel right, they will throw an extra one or two. But for the most part, they throw fastballs. When you get on the mound, you should already be ready to throw, so for the most part you are just getting used to the mound and the visuals of the park.

2.) Since college, I have always used Rawlings Gloves. Do you hear that Rawlings? I have used your gloves uninterruptedly for ten seasons now and have had the option to freely go to another company. Who better to represent your company as a spokesperson than a loyal customer with thousands of fans who don’t play baseball themselves? That’s right, I don’t have a sponsorship. Yet. Oh, the model? I have had a Rawlings ProS15TC.

3.) To be honest, I really don’t know what the off season will hold for me and Mrs. Disco. We have been nomads for two years now since selling Mrs. Disco’s condo, so we will probably be visiting friends and family for a decent part of the winter months. I will probably take a month or two off from throwing and then will start getting in shape for next season around December. Being married to a yoga/pilates master and personal trainer, even if I tried taking a week off from working out and being in good physical shape after the end of the season, she wouldn’t let me. So needless to say I’ll be working out in the gym all off season. I will be looking for work (so if anyone is hiring, let me know) and hopefully will get some freelance web design work which allows me to maintain a flexible workout and travel schedule. Mrs. Disco will work as a trainer and yoga/pilates instructor as well. We are looking forward to the off season as it will really be one of our first opportunities to be a “normal” married couple for a few months.

I may play winter ball. We are waiting to hear about that.

Big fan of the blog. What’s your take on stirrups as part of the baseball uniform? Some guys wear their pant legs down to their shoes, while others (seemingly, just a few), pull up their pant legs to show some stirrup. I have to admit, I’m an old school guy, and I like the stirrups. Seems like from your picture, you do too.Keep up the good work,EJ S.,

The Royals minor league affiliates made a uniform switch to stirrups in 2007. I have worn my pants up at my knees since high school, so I’ve always been a fan of the high socks, but now that we have mandatory rules regarding pants, I’m not that unique anymore. That being said, when I get to the big leagues, I’ll have the opportunity to be unique. As most everyone is aware, the pant style currently in the big leagues has become one of extremely baggy and extremely long pants. Like over the shoes long. I posted in spring training about the cognitive dissonance I experienced with my pants when I backed up a big league spring training game. My consensus was at home I would wear my white pants down and on the road I would wear my pants up with stirrups. We’ll see how that evolves.

I have been planning to do something on the 29th of every month in honor of Quiz. If you guys have any suggestions, I’m open to them. I may go with the mid-calf pants and high stirrups (see below) because I can’t grow a mustache on command and besides, let’s be honest, I need a few Rolaids Relief Man awards under my belt before I’ve earned such a supreme mustache above my lip.

Mr. Disco, (haven’t called anyone that since that one video in college, but I was young and needed the money), I am new to the Disco Mania, and have read the entire archive, but still have not found the fake interview that started it all, is it somewhere to be found?J, Kansas City, KS

The guest blog that started it all can be found at this link. You can also find the link from my bio, which you may enjoy reading.

I threw well and got a save tonight which was nice. Was a well-pitched game all around and was fun to end it with a 1-2-3 inning with some groundouts.

I have to give a shout out to Disco fan Nick O., who submitted this video to show me fans across the world are taking notice of my blog and my suggestions and though this wasn’t the money making idea I had proposed, it’s nice to see people are reading and paying attention.

I have met a pretty eclectic array of people throughout the years playing baseball and this past week has been no exeption. During BP in Portland I met Scott the Scoreboard operator (it’s manual) and got to ask him how they climb all over behind teh scenes. Then I got to meet Jonathan G. (who is famous for long comments on this blog)_ who went billions of inches out of his way to see us play. Just today on my way to the bullpen I met a grandfather and grandson pair who (along with the dad) man a 13,000 acre farm in NE by themse

Last day of a 4 game stand in Portland and it’s been a nice trip so far. Mrs. Disco was able to come with (thanks to our ridiculously generous host mom) and we have had a blast going around the city. After getting stocked up on Nike gear* we became pros on the “light rail” and then even got a chance to go to Multnomah Falls near the gorge and hike after a day game yeste

Each Friday Disco takes the time to answer your fan mail questions. If you have a question of your own, please email it to fanmail@discohayes.com.

Dear Mr. Hayes,

I am new to learning anything about baseball. I have a person named Ryan M. B. who just graduated High School here in Arlington Texas. He is going to Texas Tech in Lubbock, I believe to better himself with the game. He is a true lover of the sport I am being told & shown. I believe he will indeed make something of himself in a career that will lead to the major leagues.

This is how I stumbled onto your blog. Not knowing anything about the order of things in baseball I figured that minor comes before major. So I feel that Ryan would do minor first the reason I followed it & found you. I would like to know how all this works. If Ryan is doing baseball as a study at TTU and is good at it what happens next up to how someone gets to the Major leagues? Would you know how to find the information on all the steps? I am curious to find out how a person makes it to the major leagues. If I know more I might be able to assist him somehow along the way.

One thing I might be able to help you with in your game ability. Your nickname & the type of song style you are seeking. First of all what you are focusing on is a ‘Disco type of music’, you got this title as well from the speed of your throwing capabilities. What I believe you need to improve your skills is a different type of music & drop the ‘Disco’ from your name. You will be whatever you focus on.

You need a more power driven type of music. One that is energetic based, more speed. I have just the music style I believe that you need. If you listen & focus on all this, I believe you will indeed improve your skill. I am enclosing some music by a band called, ‘Volbeat’ that are from Denmark. A uniqueness in power driven, smoothness & style.

Tell your fans & others that you are officially dropping ‘Disco’ from your name & stop using it. That is unless you are happy where you are. Plus you will get that ‘Chick’ off your back, I believe she calls herself,’Lady Gaga‘. I doubt if she can compete with Volbeat’s music. I have never heard her personally, I do hear that she has a bad taste in fashion though.

Hey Disco,I’m from the Omaha area originally, and now reside in Florida. Could I mail you an item to have you autograph it for me?Sincerely, Cord C., Port Charlotte, FL

Cord, this seems silly to respond on my blog, but I’ve tried a number of times via email to reply to you, and I keep getting “Return to Sender”. Perhaps this is better, because other people may have the same question, so I’ll answer publicly:

Feel free to send anything with a self-addressed, stamped return envelope and I will sign it and put it in the mail for the next day. This happens on a daily basis in the clubhouse, though I have only had the honor of signing two things in such a way (both to the same guy in Florida on consecutive years). I would be thrilled to sign something, so send away! Again, Cord, sorry my previous emails didn’t go through, so I hope you’re checking back to read the blog.

In ancient times (roughly 1979), a fellow with a rather odd, underhanded delivery, also given to bouts of wit, was promoted from Omaha to Kansas City. He drank coffee in the bullpen until the eighth inning, came into games throwing baseballs rarely touching 80 miles per hour in velocity, yet somehow persuaded real athletes to beat their bats into plowshares and the ball into the ground, where Frank White, U.L. Washington and various firstbasemen cooperated to turn doubleplays, upsetting the sense of fair play and providing the Royals Baseball Club with two pennants and one World Championship. For years now, masochistic Royals fans such as myself have wandered in the desert, listening on our radios as people with names like [Censored] made a mess of things. We have been waiting for “THE ONE”. I really don’t care about all this “Disco” nonsense. Ever since I heard about
your promotion and modus operandi, I’ve been wanting to watch you in action. That other fellow was 26 when he was promoted from Omaha to KC. I hope history repeats itself. I prefer to call you “Chrisenberry.”

Suitcase,For as much crap I have thrown on you and made you carry my baggage for me all these years, I feel it is the least I can do to change my name for you. I’ll take out that little cardboard label in the “American Tourister” tag and change my name to Chrisenberry. I should probably update my address from the house I moved out of eight years ago, too.

When I make it to KC and we get two pennants and a World Championship, you can call me “Carry On” if you’d like for all I care. You just may have to go around the luggage carousel a few extra times because I doubt I will catch on right away that the bag passing by shouting, “Carry On,” is calling for me. I’ll be used to “Chrisenberry”.

Dear Disco,I am also a little annoyed you didn’t give me a “shout out” as the person who got your blog put up on The Big Lead. Just as your wife was about the Lady Gaga song.Jeff W., Omaha, NE

Jeff, I have a number of bones to pick with you here. First, leave the sentence fragments to me. That’s my job. Secondly, I’m surprised you’re selfish enough to try to take some of the credit away from me for being such a big hit on The Big Lead. After all, the point of this blog is to give credit to me.

Was I aware you were the one who got me on The Big Lead in the first place? [3] And what has The Big Lead done for me anyway? [4] I mean, you asking to be shamelessly promoted on my blog is like me begging to get back on The Big Lead by continuing to link to it from my blog. But why would I even want to be on their site anyway? [4]

If I had known[3] you were involved in the exposure to The Big Lead[4], I would have been more than happy to give you props as I did with Chris M on my awesome Twitter background design and will do in weeks to come when web developer Dan P. from Austin, TX may help me with some poll ideas for the blog. But I had no idea you were involved [3] and that’s why I didn’t give you any credit for my blog becoming insanely more popular than ever before on one particular day. [4]

So, if you want to get full credit for submitting my blog to The Big Lead, IF you claim you already have once [3], perhaps you can do it “again” [3], even though we all know you never did [3], and though any increase in ratings [4] will obviously come, not due to the exposure [4], but rather due to pure chance [4] or just a particularly funny day [4] on the blog.

But seriously, thanks for submitting, and any time anyone wants to help make me more famous, I’ll be happy to give you props at the bottom of a post most people gave up reading half way through.

So, thanks Jeff, keep up the good work. You are now the proud owner of a lifetime VIP pass to the “Discotheque”. Any other readers out there doing work to broaden my fame? Email me and I’ll probably forget about you too. But the thousands of fans and future dollars you bring in for me will never be forgotten (unless they, in turn, do something nice and email me about it).

[1] As saddened as I was Google Translator had nothing for “Godspeed”, I was even more elated with what it did with “Disco”. [back][2] I swear I did not make this up, he/she actually signed it “Suitcase”. [back][3] Turns out I went back and checked and sure enough, you did send me an email making it unequivocally clear you submitted my blog to The Big Lead. My bad on that one. [back][4] It did increase my page hits TENFOLD on the day it debuted on The Big Lead. [back]

not much happened today; a pretty boring monday in fact. Which is nice, considering how busy it has been with games, family visiting, our book proposal, and trying to keep up with the blog, etc. I am still gleaming about my “strikeout looking” from last post, which was basically the highlight of my day. We have a literary agent looking over our book proposal and if she likes it, it will make for a busy offseason writing

I had three sets of visitors this weekend between my mom and two very close family friends, so I wasn’t able to get to Fan Mail questions very easily. I have some quick, odds and ends, baseball-related questions I’ll answer, even if it’s a few days late. I’ve been getting quite a few new fans emailing in, but just a reminder to everyone, if you have a question, no matter how wacky or weird, please send it to fanmail@discohayes.com and I will do my best to answer it for you.

Do pitchers really hit batters on purpose? If so, have you ever hit a batter on purpose?Ginny P., Goodyear, AZ

This is one of those “unwritten rules” in baseball, so I’m finding it hard to write an answer for you. I will now do an interpretive dance in front of my computer to explain.

Lots of dramatic thrashing and arm waving with short pauses for reflection.

I look shocked and run backwards in place.

I begin jumping frantically in the air kicking my legs.

I crouch down and pull my face into my knees with my hands.

The crowd grows silent.

I erupt into action and fling myself high into the air with my hands over my head.

I drop my head back behind my body and stare into the sky.

Scene.

I hope you understand now.

What is that white pillow-looking bag on the mound? Is that a dumb question? I assume it’s something for your hands or grip as guys usually grab it and powder comes up, but I can’t imagine baby powder in there. What is it used for?Kate K., Joplin, MO

It’s called a rosin bag. Rosin is made by vaporizing resin from trees and plants until it becomes a solid crystal-like rock. Typically the bat boys fill a long tube sock with rosin and then they crush it to form a powder. The sock is then tied off and cut making the little pillow-shaped marshmallow on the mound. When you toss it up and catch it or hit it with your hand, the powder comes out bit by bit. Rosin is used for grip and keeping your hand dry. Some guys’ hands sweat profusely when they pitch and so they use a ton of rosin to keep it dry and get a good grip. On the other hand, they wear a glove. Bada bing. Get it? On the other hand? Cause they are pitchers. I digress.

On the other hand, some guys don’t like the sticky feeling you get with the rosin. It’s a personal preference.

It’s not a dumb question, Kate, in fact I’m glad you asked because I bet it’s one a lot of people have. Guys like to have an especially good grip on their breaking pitches to try to maximize the spin. Fastballs and change-ups often are better served to have less spin (which makes them sink), so it’s not as beneficial on a fastball. That doesn’t mean if you see a pitcher go to the rosin bag he’s about to throw a breaking ball; that would be too obvious a tell, but it gives you a little better understanding. Some guys who are obsessed with rosin will end up with a patch of white powder on their hat or jersey so they can get extra rosin for each pitch without having to walk back and pick up the bag.

Personally, I used to never touch the rosin bag because I didn’t like the stickiness. I felt like the ball wouldn’t come off my fingers as well and I never had a problem with sweaty hands. As I’ve become more of an experienced pitcher, I use just a bit of rosin on my pointer and middle fingers. So if you see me pitch, I’ll bend over and tap the bag with those two fingers instead of tossing the bag in the air or smacking it against my whole hand. Because I throw underhand, I like the added spin it gives me on my fastball because it’s topspin and adds to the sink.

I have heard cards are often played in baseball clubhouses. Do you slough aces when you play a game like Spades or Bridge?Tom H., Queens, NY

Pluck is the big game in most clubhouses. Aside from the fact it is the most dumbed-down trick taking game in history, I have no idea why everyone chooses to play it. It’s pretty stupid. Anyways, I do slough Aces depending on the situation, of course. Typically if I have three or less of one suit with the Ace, I will slough it if I’m in second position (meaning the player to my right leads that suit). Otherwise, I play it straight. Most of the time.

Do all pitchers wear a cup? Do you wear a cup? What’s that like?Jordan B., Kansas City, MO

I would say most pitchers wear a cup. As I’m typing here, I’m trying to figure out what I’m basing that on, and it’s an awkward mental exercise, so I’ll just go with no “supporting” facts for my argument and say most do wear a cup.

I wear a cup. I played a lot more catcher and shortstop than I did pitcher in the early part of my baseball career, so I got used to wearing a cup. For me, it now feels really weird to wear a uniform without a cup. As much time as we spend on the field in uniform before the game practicing and shagging, I have started to get used to it, but if I were to walk on the mound in a game without a cup, I don’t know what I’d do.Everyone has their own method for wearing a cup and everyone thinks theirs is the best. But I KNOW mine is the best, and so, whether you wanted to hear or not, I’ll share with you how to properly wear a cup.

If you go to the store and buy an “athletic supporter” it comes with 2 parts: the cup and a jock strap with a sleeve into which the cup is supposed to slide. I would recommend throwing out the jock strap with the sleeve. If you’re a parent and you’re planning on buying your little-leaguer a cup for perhaps the first time, listen carefully, you will save your child years of discomfort, ridicule, and chafing. You can thank me later.

You can’t wear a cup directly on your … hmmmm … how do I finish this sentence without being lewd? Let’s use an At Bat as an allegory, here. The pitcher throws three pitches. The first is a ball, the second is a foul tip, and the third is a ball. The umpire happens to be terrible that day, so he calls the balls strikes. That means, on this day, two balls and a foul tip turn into a “strikeout looking”. So from this point forward, I’ll refer to the “balls” and “foul tip” as a “strikeout looking”. I hope I haven’t lost you and now that the anatomy is set, we can continue.

If you were to put the cup in the jock sleeve and put that directly on your strikeout looking, it would chafe terribly on your groin. So, everyone in baseball wears something underneath the cup as a layer of protection over their strikeout looking. When I was young, I remember it being cool to wear boxers in general, and as a result, kids wore boxers under their cup. Boxers are designed for maximum freedom and are therefore meant to be loose-fitting, so when you plop a cup over them, all freedom and comfort is not only lost, but you have an excess of material that gets folder over and scrunched up against your strikeout looking. Boxers are also not designed to stretch much so they don’t allow for much movement once they are smashed into place. Result: boxers TKO’d.

I’ll give a quick brief on briefs. They don’t provide a layer of material far down
your leg enough to prevent chafing on the upper thigh and groin. So, tighty whities are out.

That leaves us with what have come to be called “sliders”. For those of you moms out there writing this all down, first off, you’re welcome, your sons will thank me some day, and who knows, maybe if you hadn’t read this your son wouldn’t wear a cup and someday wouldn’t be able to provide you grandchildren. Man, do you owe me! Back to “sliders”. If you go to a sporting goods store, you probably won’t see the term “sliders” on any products. They are typically called “compression shorts” and are mass-produced by companies like Nike and UnderArmour. They are spandex-like material and are long enough to go down at least half way down your thigh, but not all the way to your knee. Buy two pairs of these sliders. Then, while you are buying a cup, buy a regular jock strap, not one with a sleeve, I can’t stress this enough.

The method for wearing these articles of clothing goes like this: put the first pair of sliders on. They should fit tight and be stretchy across your legs. Pull the bottoms of the sliders (which should be sitting down on your thighs) UP towards your strikeout looking so the inseam is shorter than it was. This should allow for a snugger fit on your strikeout looking.

I need to digress again for a minute. The key to wearing a cup is you want it as form-fitted to your strikeout looking as possible. Let’s picture this for a minute: you have to wear a hat, but you decide to balance a large dinner plate on the top of your head first before putting on the hat. When the hat goes on, it has to sit on the dinner plate and is way up and off your head. When you move or spin around (let’s assume you have excellent balance and don’t knock over the plate) the hat is bound to bounce around on the plate. Now, let’s say instead of having a plate on your head, you have a swim cap. When you put your hat on, it now fits snugly over your head and will stay in place and is more comfortable. It also does not stick as far up off the top of your head. This is the idea behind the best method for wearing a cup on your strikeout looking.

When you pull the first pair of sliders up, you don’t want to give yourself a wedgie, but you want your strikeout looking to be under the swim cap, not under the dinner plate. Capeche? OK, no put the jock strap on over the first pair of sliders. The jock strap should fit the same as if you didn’t even have the sliders on. Now, put the second pair of sliders on over the top of all of this. Don’t hike the second pair of sliders up. Leave them be for the time being. Now you are ready to insert the cup. I’ve harped on this, but one last check…don’t use a jock strap with a sleeve. Take the cup and put it between the first layer of sliders and the jock strap. You will notice the jock strap forms nicely over the cup and the cup forms nicely over the strikeout looking. There should be no uncomfortable pinching or chafing because you have the bottom protective layer. There should be no sliding bouncing of the cup because it is in the jock strap, and the cup should not be sticking out far and should be held perfectly in place because you have the second pair of sliders over the top of everything.

Gone are the days of painful, awkward running and chafed and pinched thighs. Let’s rejoice.

A special thanks to my assistant high school baseball coach, Ray Werner, for telling me about this method as I have used it every day for the past ten years since he showed me.

Oh, and how could I forget?, use a generous amount of baby powder for maximum comfort.

Do you keep in touch with former Northwestern teammate and current Phillie, J.A. Happ?Jerry D., Wheaton, IL

I do keep up with J.A. It’s been an exciting season. It is hard to imagine 2009 would be anywhere near as exciting as 2008 was for J.A., but he’s throwing so well it’s been really fun to watch. I remember being so fired up watching last year’s playoffs and World Series because I wanted J.A. to get a ring in his first trip to the post season. This year was a entirely different set of circumstances for him because of his name being mentioned in much of the deadline trade talk, but he’s been a true professional and gone out and thrown the ball well all year.

I typically send him a text after his starts and rate how well he did based on the number of hits he gets at the plate. Only just recently did he get his BA over the .100 mark, so that should give you an idea how supportive a friend I am. He’s a ridiculous athlete and used to be a very good hitter in college, so I like to give him a hard time about his swing. He’s got something like 3 career hits in the big leagues. I think in scrimmages in college I was 4 for 20 off him with 3 bunt singles, so I feel I can still give him a hard time.

Here I am (left to right) with teammates Evan Blesoff (who’s playing Independent ball now) and J.A. Happ (currently with the Phillies) during the National Anthem in a game at Northwestern.

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